published Dec. 5, 1929

What’s in a Name?

                HALL by Helen M Biggers                 CROSBY by German Bullock

Once called Halls Corners, now named after Post Office; Farmers once sold Firewood to Old Railroad; Drew grain To albany; Present Houses build of Old Tavery Timbers. Describes origin of north and South Crosby Landings.

The village of hall received its name from its first settler, Edward Hall, who came from England in 1800. HE took up land in the then wilderness and built a tavern on the land on the Indian trail which later became the road from Prattsburg and Potter to Geneva. This road has many turns where it was necessarey to avoid farms already laid out when the road finally was built. Later the Penn Yan road was laid out. the two highways dividiing the Hall proprety and making the town corners. The village was first called Hall’s Corners and a post office was establishe here on april 28th, 1830, with Edward hall as the first postmaster. The present postmaster, William c mead , received his firsst commission in 1889 and has served continuously since that date. On Jan. 12th 1910, the name of the post office was changed to Hall. The Elmira and Canandaigua railroad was built in 1852 and the wide gauge was changed by President Lincoln from five feet six inches to four feet eight and a half inches. At Hall thre was for many years just an uncovered platform, the station being called Halls Corners. The engines at first were very small, weighing five tons. Now they weigh 50 tons. four foot wood was then burned, the farmers selling to the railroad. they would draw and pile it along the tracks where it would be loaded onto the tender as needed. it was almost impossible for the small engins to get u the grade near the Joseph Watson farm. This farm is still owened by Joseph Watsons daughter, Miss Phoebe J. Watson, who lives in Benton. the old tavern, kept by Edward hall was located near where Roy Hall’s barn now stands, and the barns for the tavern were located on te land which is now W C meads garden. the wells for both tavern and barns have been filled in comparatively recently. the tavern was patrontied by travelers and farmers passing through to Albany, Phelps, Geneva, and Lyone with loads of grain. On their return from Philps then called Viena they would bring loads of Cayuga plaster which ws used for fertilizer on the land. Mrs. G G Southerland, a great granddaugher of Edward Hall has some of the beautiful old wine glasses which were used in the tavern. When it was torn down sevreal of the first hosues in the village were built of the lumber. the dweling now occupied by Roy Hall and his family, located just in front of the site of the tavern, is almost entirely buildt of this lumber. Roy Hal’s children, Edith and John, are the sixth generation who have lived on this farm. Roscoe F Hall, father of Roy also lives on the same farm, his house standing across the corner from the first Hall house . He is one of Hall’s most prominent citizens, having been electd to serve his fourth term as supervisor of Ontario county, the only Democrate to be elected from this town for many years. Miss Margaret Hall is another generation nearer to the fist Edward Hall and still lives in the village. Of the old houses built of tavern timbers two others at least are still standing that owned and occupied by Mrs. James Murphy and her son, John and the little house owned by William Dannabe, located across the street from W C mead’s residence. Among other fist settlers at hall’s corners are many who have decendants still living here and many own the farms taken u by their ancestors when the county was wilderness. The Stokes family werelvingin a mile or so west of hall a few years before Edward hall settled here. George Caward located west of the log cabin meeting house shortly after 1809, took up the land now owened by J H Carr. Mr. Carr purchased the place a few years ago from George Casards descendants. Mr Casard fist drew his grain with horses to Albany where he sold it. After the Erie Canal system was built he became a dealer in grain and drew it to Geneva to be shipped by canal. Henry southerland has the original deed to the farm where he lives. It ws gained by the Phleps and Gorham company to one Mr. Hill who sold it to Mr Robson as ancestore of Mr. Southerland and on down to him.

The Clark, Crozier, Southland, Wilson, Ledgerwood, Watson, Robson, Burrell/Harrell? and Forster families are all connected wit the early history of the village and like the halls all have members still living in the village.